Tragic Boat Accident on Lake Powell Leaves 2 Dead 2 Missing

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A Utah man driving a motorboat on Lake Powell was apparently distracted by his young passengers when he hit a houseboat and flipped the craft, leaving his wife dead and his daughter and his son’s girlfriend missing, deputies said.

Adrian Jackman, 59, of South Jordan, apparently tried to swerve when he noticed the moving houseboat but hit the front corner, authorities said.

The accident about 8 a.m. Thursday killed his wife, Marilyn Jackman, 57. His daughter, Jessica Jackman, 22, and his son’s girlfriend, Valerie Rae Bradshaw, 29, of Sandy, Utah, are missing in the water.

Crews brought a robot equipped with a camera to search for the missing women Friday in the 400-foot-deep water near Dangling Rope Marina. But they ran into technical problems and had to call off the effort, according to Denise Shultz, spokeswoman for the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area that encompasses Lake Powell.

She said the Utah Highway Patrol has been asked to bring in equipment from the Salt Lake City area, and the search is expected to resume Saturday.

Most of the people aboard the motorboat, which was carrying 13 passengers, were family members from northern Utah, deputies said. Nobody on the houseboat was injured.

It’s not uncommon for boaters to venture out early in the morning while the waters of Lake Powell are smooth, said Kane County sheriff’s Sgt. Alan Alldredge. The vast man-made lake, bordered by sandstone walls and colorful rock formations, is a popular destination for houseboat vacations.

Deputies said the group was headed to Rainbow Bridge — touted as the largest known natural bridge in the world — when the crash happened. Crews had to rescue some victims from the water, Shultz said.

All of the six children aboard were wearing life jackets, officials said. Adrian Jackman and his 11-year-old granddaughter were airlifted to a hospital in Flagstaff, Ariz., while a third person was taken to the hospital by ambulance.

The three were released later Thursday.

Lake Powell is a very large man-made lake in Utah and Arizona. It was created with the construction of the Hoover Dam and has become a favorite recreational attraction. It is visited by approximately 2 million people each year. Houseboats, boats and personal watercraft populate the lake in summer months but, due in part to its size, there are not many serious boating accidents. The recreational waterways of Louisiana and east Texas are considerably smaller or narrower rivers and bayous making boater safety a high priority. Boat operators must be familiar with the environment, the boat and know the rule sand regulations of safe boating. The proven injury attorneys at Fisher Injury Lawyers wishes you a safe and fun summer. We are here for you if you or someone you know is injured in an accident. Call us anytime.

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For more than 26 years, Bryan Fisher, and the legal team at Fisher Injury Lawyers have been recovering money for good people injured or disabled in accidents. We provide top notch, experienced and effective legal representation to those injured or disabled in accidents and their families.